TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo pushes Biden's youth vaccination drive

Rodrigo, who has some 28 million social media followers, is adding star power to the Biden administration attempt to lure young people to vaccination centers.

News Desk (AFP)
Washington, United States
Thu, July 15, 2021 Published on Jul. 15, 2021 Published on 2021-07-15T16:43:17+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Pop music star and Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo makes a brief statement to reporters at the beginning of the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. Rodrigo is partnering with the White House to promote COVID-19 vaccination outreach to her young fans.  (AFP/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images).
Usage: 0 Pop music star and Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo makes a brief statement to reporters at the beginning of the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. Rodrigo is partnering with the White House to promote COVID-19 vaccination outreach to her young fans. (AFP/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). Usage: 0 (AFP/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

T

een pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo said Wednesday she is "in awe" of White House efforts to get Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 and said getting the shot was "easy."

Rodrigo, who has some 28 million social media followers, is adding star power to the Biden administration attempt to lure young people to vaccination centers.

The singer and Disney actress was meeting President Joe Biden and his top coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci and will record videos to encourage youth vaccinations.

From The Weekender

Paper chaser: How Rudy Atjeh makes art out of paperwork

The Aceh-born, Yogyakarta-based artist talks us through his latest work at Art Jakarta Papers, and why cutting paper is a surprisingly reflective act.

Read on The Weekender

"I'm in awe of the work President Biden and Dr Fauci have done," Rodrigo, 18, said alongside Press Secretary Jen Psaki at the start of the daily White House media briefing.

"It's important to have conversations with friends and family members, encouraging all communities to get vaccinated," she said. This can be done "more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them."

Rodrigo "offered to come" to the White House, Psaki said, to deliver a message to fans that "getting vaccinated is a way to keep yourself safe, a way to ensure you can see your friends, a way you can go to concerts."

Read also: President Biden marks US ‘independence’ from COVID-19

After a strong period of vaccination drives across the United States the pace has slacked off, with young people among the main groups failing to get their shots.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 percent of the US population has been fully vaccinated and 55.5 percent have received at least one dose.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.